The First Presbyterian church here was filled Monday afternoon for funeral services for Allan V. Classon, prominent attorney of Oconto and Green Bay, who died in a Chicago hotel last Friday morning at 8:15 following a heart attack.
He was stricken a week before his death, and his condition was considered too critical to move him from his hotel. Hopes were held for his recovery after he had withstood the attack for four days, but Wednesday he began sinking and by the following day physicians in attendance declared death was a matter of hours. While he had been known to suffer from severe headaches, his health was believed good and the attack in Chicago came as a surprise to his wife and to his associates.
Mr. Classon was born in Oconto county Nov. 19, 1876 son of the late Mr. and Mrs. William J. Classon. His father a Civil war veteran born in Vermont, settled in Oconto county in 1868, farmed until 1893, and then operated a grocery in Oconto. His mother, the former Adeline Leger, was a native of Canada.
After graduation from the Oconto High school, he attended the University of Wisconsin receiving his law degree with the class of 1900. Joseph Davies, former ambassador to Belgium, and Supreme Court Justince Oscar Fritz were among his classmates. He returned to Oconto and began the practice of law, in which he had been engaged ever since. He married Vivian Duncan of Oconto in 1910 and she and one brother, Edmund Classon, this city, are the only survivors.
He erected the first modern office building in Oconto, his law offices occupying the entire upper floor. This office is still maintained under the supervision of Attorney Tom Donoghue, although Mr. Classon moved to Green Bay in 1935, opening offices in the Northern building. Richard J. Ballman recently became associated with him in the firm of Classon and Ballman.
In addition to being attorney for several large corporations including the North Western Railroad, the Hold Lumber company and the United States Fidelity and Guarantee company, he acted as counsel in many important cases. He was investigator in the taxpayers suit over alleged payments of money in Washington to secure favorable consideration for Oconto harbor, which later received nation wide publicity in the book "Washington Merry -Go-Round," he headed defense counsel in the Forest county land cases, recently reviewed by the Supreme court.
His body was brought directly to Oconto from Chicago Saturday, and was taken to the Gallagher Funeral home.
Rev. Thomas Smart, pastor of the First Presbyterian church here, officiated at the services. Music was sung my Miss Lucille Meusel, talented coloratura soprano of Green Bay, accompanied at the organ by Clinton DeWitt, Oconto. Burial was in the Evergreen Cemetery.
Among those who filled the church pews were members of the northeastern Wisconsin bar, judges and court attaches who came from Oconto, Brown, Shawano and Marinette counties as well as more distant points.
Honorary pallbearers included W. A. Holt, Atty. Arthur Whitcomb, Ward Westcott, Adolph Lehner, Will Evans, J. H. Golden, Mayor J. B. Chase, Judge Arnold F. Murphy, Atty. V. J. O'Kelliher, E. J. Evenson. Active Pallbearers were Atty. Donoghue and Donald Holt, Oconto; Atty. Richard Ballman, Atty. Karl Hagemeister, Atty. Meyer Cohen and Eldred J. Robinson, Green Bay.
Those in charge of flowers were Mrs. Tom Donoghue, Mary Gardner, Adeline Mierke, Margaret Mann, Elizabeth Watterrich, Jean Jarvis, Sally Jarvis, June Cole and Mary Crooks.